Something More
by N. Master
Summary: Disaster strikes Team Star Fox, leading Krystal to dig through Wolf's past. But will she find more than she bargained for? Perhaps it's true that some things are best kept secret...
1. Chapter 1: Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

**Chapter One**

_Vacation, All I Ever Wanted_

The beautiful, blue Cerinian locked her door. She was so exhausted that she didn't even bother to dress down for bed. She lay quietly, thinking very little of anything. Ever since they had destroyed the Aparoids, Fox had ruthlessly begun a senseless crusade of intensive training. Everything from excruciating exercise to tedious Arwing drills became the daily routine, and it lasted hours. It made no sense really. Shouldn't they be on vacation by now?

_"I just think we should be prepared. You never know, the next big threat to the Lylat System could be lurking around the corner."_ Fox's explanation of his actions echoed emptily in Krystal's mind.

That's all well and good, but if "the next big threat" did show its face to the galaxy anytime soon, Team Star Fox wouldn't be in any condition to handle it. At this rate, they'd be too burnt out to draw their blasters.

Krystal sighed into her pillow, trying to make sense of Fox's logic. As she thought of Fox and his lunacy, she couldn't help but let her mind wander as the fatigue began to take over her body. The Cerinian blood in her began to flow like a river through her psyche and inadvertently activated her extrasensory powers. She could feel the ebb and flow of life around her as each significant presence meandered about the _Great Fox II_.

Fox's presence was the strongest. Whether this was an innate attribute of his essence or just Krystal's preference toward him she did not know, but she welcomed it all the same. Krystal was so entranced by Fox's energy that she paid little mind to the dark and malicious presence surreptitiously slithering its way through the more top secret areas of the starship.

Krystal's bedroom swiftly melted away as her mind and soul ebbed into Fox's psyche and left her body behind. Fox's mind was a vast and wild place. Though he was serious and calm on the outside, inside he was chaotic and emotional, almost like a teenage boy. Still, she felt safe and warm in his company.

Her surroundings suddenly shifted to a luminescent garden; Fox's dreams. She had never been here before, but there was no doubt in her mind. It was far more brilliant and elaborate than she expected. Everything was much more vivid than the average dream. She could even spot the dew drops that gently rested on the scarlet petals of the rose blossoms.

"_Fox certainly has an active imagination," _she thought to herself.

Then the blue vixen felt a slight draft and looked down to find her slender, athletic figure dressed in nothing but white silk cloth covering her chest and loins.

"Oh…" She blushed, feeling slightly modest and a bit tickled by the implications. A _very_ active imagination. Suddenly, her eyes caught a stray blink of golden fur. She turned and came face to face with a striking vulpine.

"Fox," she murmured. His eyes were clearly fixated upon her. Those sparkling emerald eyes – they burned with an intense passion for the beauty that lay before them. For the first time, she could see Fox's true figure, uninhibited by the obstruction of mercenary clothing, for he wore nothing but a silk loincloth. He was far more splendid than she could possibly have imagined.

She smiled as an overwhelming sensation swept through her. She wanted to kiss him, very badly. She took a step forward only to be struck by a sudden looming of despair.

Krystal's smile shifted into a look of confusion as the bright exuberance of the dream quickly contorted into a black void. Fox had vanished, leaving her stranded in the empty darkness.

Her head jerked around, looking for a way out. Her ears twitched as a faint sound began to penetrate the silence. It was a soft, gauzy sound – getting louder and louder, and she recognized it as heavy breathing – right behind her!

"Fox!" She turned and was confronted by a single, menacing amethyst eye, the other hidden by a new-age technological eye patch. She was staring directly at the gruff mug of…Wolf O'Donnell! The towering behemoth was fully clothed in his usual armored, leather jumpsuit but stared back at her with a covetous gaze. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable in her skimpy outfit. He began to move toward her.

"AUGH!" she screamed and bolted upright, ruffling her sheets and nearly throwing her blanket from the bed. She took a hard gulp and tried to calm her rapid breathing. She looked around and breathed an immense sigh of relief as she realized she was once again safely snug in her own bedroom aboard the _Great Fox II_. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Was _that_ really what Fox dreamt about?

The next morning Krystal awoke feeling neither refreshed nor revitalized. She groaned as she tried to sit up. Every muscle in her body objected to even the slightest hint of motion. It didn't help when there came a sudden knocking at the door.

"Krystal? Are you up yet?" Fox's voice emerged from the other side and while normally she rejoiced at this pleasurable event, her disappointment was apparent. She knew what would be coming next. "We're about to start up our morning drills."

She shuddered. Morning drills indeed. _"There's no such thing as morning in this dreary environment." _Still, she managed to half-heartedly acknowledge him before getting into the shower and resolved to have a talk with him after "morning drills". She twisted the shower knob and her fur and skin readily absorbed the warmth and water. She started washing herself before the odd feeling that she was forgetting something prodded the edge of her consciousness.

* * *

The dark, conniving creature swept furtively through the halls of the _Great Fox II_, still forgotten in Krystal's subconscious.

"_Idiots,"_ he thought, _"This was much easier than I expected." _He had already been on-board for a week and no one had even the slightest clue. Not even that psychic brat of a feline, or vulpine, or whatever the hell she was. She was probably blinded by the act of charity so graciously provided by Star Wolf only a month ago. Still, he couldn't take all the credit. After all, that useless amphibian inventor turned out to be good for something. He'd never seen a fully functional personal cloaking device before but was more than happy to "relieve" the Star Fox Team of it.

Though he had no personal vendetta against the goody-two shoes band of mercenaries, save for maybe one exception, he took an unwavering delight in the anticipated humiliation they would suffer when he committed his final act upon taking his leave of the wretched dump they called a starship.

* * *

After finishing their morning exercises, the exhausted carcasses of Slippy, Falco, and Krystal trudged to the break room resting on Fox's assurance that he would be there to join them as soon as he was finished tweaking some logistical conflicts on his training schedule.

Krystal sighed heavily and sat carefully down at the closest table. She looked at her comrades. They too, were incredibly exhausted; especially Slippy who was still breathing heavily from the morning drills.

"Ugh…I don't know how much more of this I can take guys," Slippy breathed. "I don't know about you, but Fox is killing me."

"Yeah, me too. He's such a hard-ass," Falco said, grabbing a tray.

"This is just so unlike him." Krystal's stomach grumbled but she could barely move from her seat let alone getting up to find something to eat.

"No it's not," replied Falco bluntly. He took his seat across at the opposite corner from Krystal and peeled the wrapping from an energy bar. "This is just like him. He gets like this after saving the Lylat System from impending doom…again."

"Oh…" Krystal said. Come to think of it, the whole Aparoid incident was her first big adventure with Fox and…she didn't really know him all that well, did she? The thought disheartened her a bit. After all this time, she still didn't really know the true Fox. She'd be waiting for him to make the first move for some time and wondered if he was really all that interested. Though, with last night's dream, she was sure he felt…something. So what was holding him back?

"If you ask me," Falco went on, "I think he should just chill out for a sec' and…" Falco took a bite of the energy bar and spit it back out almost immediately. "What the hell! What kinda crap is he feedin' us?" He looked at the half-eaten block in utter disgust.

Krystal noticed Slippy had finally taken a seat. He looked solemn and thoughtful.

"Slippy?"

He jumped almost immediately. "Huh! What?" He looked at Krystal in surprise.

"You just looked like you wanted to say something?"

"Yeah, what is it? Spit it out already!" said Falco, making another attempt to eat the rusty granola bar.

"Well…it's just…" Slippy hesitated. "I noticed that Fox only does this when…"

"When…when what?" Krystal's eyes widened. An explanation! Falco had already stopped paying attention.

"When we fight Star Wolf," he finished, still a bit hesitant.

The words hit Krystal like a mallet to the head. Of course! It made perfect sense. That would explain why he appeared in the dream then. Who wouldn't want to be in tip-top shape against one's rival.

It still didn't explain why he lied about it though…

_"I just think we should be prepared. You never know, the next big threat to the Lylat System could be lurking around the corner."_

That was kind of an unusual explanation for something so mundane.

But whatever…surely he just didn't want to appear afraid of Star Wolf or something macho like that.

"Hey, sorry it took so long." Fox walked in, holding that blasted clipboard. Krystal saw he looked just as, if not more tired than the rest of them. "So after we're all done here, we can go ahead and—"

"_Ugh, that does it!"_

"Fox?" Krystal said, keeping her voice deceptively sweet.

"Hm?" Fox looked up from his clipboard.

"We need a break."

"A break? What for?" Everyone at the table moaned and Krystal gave him a stern look. "Oh all right, all right. I suppose we can take the day off." The tension broke so swiftly the room itself seemed to sigh in relief.

"_Finally…" _she thought.

"Well, I guess I'll—" Fox turned back the way he had entered and started to leave.

"Oh…Foooox," Krystal said in a sing-song voice, halting Fox in his tracks. The mere thought of some rest was somehow invigorating. Fox tensed up and slowly turned around.

"Y-yes?"

A sly grin crossed Krystal's muzzle and she stood up assertively. "I'm not done with you yet." Fox's eyes flew wide open.

"I…"

Falco chuckled maliciously as Krystal dragged Fox by the scruff of his neck to a more private area.

As they left however, Krystal felt that strange tingling sensation at the back of her neck as though she was still forgetting about something…

* * *

The chameleon giggled with malice at the wonder his eyes now beheld. He had managed to navigate his way to the docking bay and was anxiously scrutinizing the personal space fighter that would soon be his.

"_And now for the best part…"_


	2. Chapter 2: Hate is a Strong Word

**Chapter Two**

_Hate is a Strong Word…_

_Time: Exactly one month ago._

_Location: Unknown; many kilometers from the destruction site of the Aparoid nest._

The dark and rugged lupine groaned as he hurled the hulking scrap of metal from his body.

"_Ugh…that's what I get for playing hero,"_ he thought, rubbing a bruise on the side of his muzzle. But that didn't concern him as much as the smoking heap that lay before him.

"_My precious Wolfen. McCloud, you will pay for this."_

Wolf stood, stumbling for balance as he limped toward the wreckage. His breath was a bit shallow, but he knew he would survive. He always did.

Wincing into a few more painful steps, he stopped next to the tattered cockpit of his mutilated spacecraft and reached inside, maneuvering his hand through broken glass.

"Where is that damn…" After several minutes of grasping the air, his fingers curled around a lever just under the pilot's seat. A bit of pain crawled through his stomach as he tugged on it as a vaguely audible click cued his success.

He grunted as it released, though whether in pain or accomplishment, he did not know. Leaning further into the cockpit, he reached into the newly unfastened compartment in the floor. After a beat, he pushed himself from the ship entirely, firmly cradling a green notebook close to his chest.

"_Wouldn't want to leave this here now__,__ would I?"_

Wolf took a moment to catch his breath and view his surroundings. As he looked around, it was clear that his wasn't the only scrap-heap in…wherever he was. He looked up and took note of the dirt-brown atmosphere—a junkyard planet.

"Damn you McCloud!" He howled, straining himself as a fit of coughing followed his outburst. Several drops of blood spilled from his maw.

Wolf sighed. _"Guess I better find a way out first, before I become nothin' but a pile of scrap myself."

* * *

_

"So, uh…" Fox's sentence had trailed off before it even began. With his fur floofed out, it was quite obvious he was nervous.

Krystal giggled softly, taking mild amusement in Fox's flustered attempts at communication. After dragging him from the dining hall, the two of them had gone to a more secluded area of the _Great Fox_—namely, Fox's quarters.

They were now sitting quietly at a small, glass table, the small flame of a tea candle flickering delicately between them.

Fox gulped helplessly, unable to find the right words to say anything. Krystal smiled and decided to start things off. After all, she dragged him out here.

"So I've been wondering," she started. Fox's ears perked up in anticipation and relief. "What's been bothering you lately?"

"Whuh? What?" Fox said haltingly, a bit taken aback. "I—what?"

"You seem a bit on edge lately. You can tell me; what's wrong?" She sensed a wall of tension rise in Fox's psyche. Her eyes looked upon him with concern.

"I-It's nothing," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

Krystal sighed; why didn't she believe him?

Fox continued, "I just get on edge when—"

"Wolf is around?" Krystal finished for him.

"What!" Fox's ear twitched, and his eyes widened; absolutely stunned with a look of bewildered shock.

"Where did—"

"Slippy," she answered. "He told me that you get edgy on missions where we've encountered Star Wolf."

"H—… A—…" Fox's mouth drooped slightly agape.

Krystal stared at him inquisitively and tilted her head.

"Is it…true?" She finally asked, feeling a bit guilty for ruining the mood; but for some reason, she had to know. Could it be linked to that odd dream he had last night?

"Hm?" She prodded.

"I—" Before he could continue, the _Great Fox_ jerked suddenly, jostling Fox from his seat.

"What the—?" Fox stood up only to be knocked down by another violent crash.

"Fox! What's happening?" Krystal shouted as she braced herself against a third impact.

Fox crawled over to his nightstand and reached up, grabbing his wrist communicator. He activated it to hear Slippy's voice come through.

"Fox! Get up here! Quick!" A sense of urgency in his voice alerted Fox to the problem—unwanted visitors.

The turbulence seemed to have settled. Fox jumped to his feet and bolted out the door with Krystal closely behind.

Everything became a blur as Fox dashed toward the bridge. He missed not a beat as he entered. "Slippy, what's—" His words died on his lips as he stared into the cold, soulless eyes of Leon.

"Hello Starfox!" Leon greeted, his voice as grating as ever. "Surprised?"

Fox hesitated a moment… Leon? Now _this_ didn't make any sense.

"You'll be even more surprised when I tell you how long I've been cooped up in that bucket of bolts you call a spaceship."

Fox paused for a moment, mouth agape. "You—You what!" His eyes widened.

"Two weeks I've been trapped in that wretched thing and not so much as a 'hello' from any of you. How's that for rude?" He cackled malevolently, rejoicing in the horror apparent on each team members' face.

"But I made up for it. I managed to collect some interesting information that maybe you don't want for me to have?"

"You slime-ball!" Falco shouted, pounding his fists on the console in front of him.

Leon cackled again. "Oh it gets even better! I also managed to secure a little 'prize' as well!" Immediately, his face vanished from the view-screen, replaced by the sight of—

"My Arwing!" cried Krystal.

"Catch me if you can, Starfox!" Leon's voice rang sharply through the bridge as Krystal's pilfered vessel dashed out of sight.

"Well! What're we waiting for? Come on!" prompted Falco, snapping Fox out of his bemused trance.

"ROB! Prepare the docking bay! Everyone—let's go!" Fox finally commanded.

In the adrenaline of it all, Krystal sprinted with them…only to stop halfway_._

"Don't worry Krystal!" Fox called back to her, "We'll handle this!"

Head hung low, she walked back.

Fox wasted no time in checking his engines, thrusters, brakes, and of course, the G-diffuser system. Though he desperately wished to skip these steps, they were too important; no matter how much time it would save.

"All systems go!" He reported. And with that, Team Starfox blasted off.

"Remember to go easy guys; don't forget, this is Krystal's Arwing."

Slippy and Falco nodded in confirmation.

"Now it's a matter of where he's leading us," Fox muttered to himself. He had enough experience to know that this was likely a trap, but he couldn't let Leon escape with this kind of larceny. If Wolf got his filthy paws on something as valuable as an _Arwing_—he shuddered.

Fox tried to distract this line of thinking by focusing on the chase. It was then he noticed that they were gaining leverage.

"Is it me, or is Scaly Nut-job letting us catch up to him?" It was as though Falco read his mind.

"_He's right…this is going to be uglier than I thought."_ Fox deliberated.

"Guys, my sensors indicate two bogies headed our way—and fast!" Slippy exclaimed.

"Looks like he's got backup after all," Falco stated the obvious.

Fox's ears tensed back, and he gritted his teeth. He knew what was coming next.

"Hello pup!" Greeted that smug, surly voice from the receiver.


	3. Chapter 3: Only the Good Die Young

**Chapter Three**

_Only the Good Die Young_

_Time: Several minutes ago…_

_Location: Just outside the Lylat System; Not far from the _Great Fox.

"Ahh," Katt sighed, positioning her seat back. "That wasn't so hard." Having completed a particularly arduous flight through an asteroid belt, she felt content to rest in space for a while. Though she was not entirely certain of her destination, she was enjoying the journey all the same.

Resting her eyes, a slight tickling sensation made her eyelids twitch. She opened them and noticed two blinking dots on her radar.

Almost immediately, she sat up and checked her rearview monitors and—sure enough—two lithe star-fighters were rapidly approaching. She jumped to action, stalling in a struggle with her stubbornly reclined chair. The delay almost proved perilous as one of the mysterious crafts passed at a less than comfortable proximity.

"Ugh!" Finally winning the battle with her seat, she activated her engines and opened her communication line.

"I don't know who you think you are but that was just plain rude!" She yelled.

* * *

This was where he belonged, he thought. Adrenaline-pumping, head held high in the polished leather seat of his _Wolfen_ _II_; not cooped up in Sargasso anxiously waiting for some frivolous wounds to heal up—no matter how critical and life-threatening they were.

Wolf double-checked the notes resting on his control console.

"Panther. Are you sure these are the right coordinates?" He asked, grimacing at the scrap of paper. Something seemed off about them. They were far too close to the Lylat System and Corneria for comfort, but no where near any feasible rendezvous point.

"These are exactly the coordinates he sent," answered Panther. "Any miscalculations fall squarely on his shoulders."

"Hmph," Wolf grunted. _"This had better be good Powalski. I won't hesitate to relieve you of your life if this is some sort of trap."_

"Perhaps you should be less concerned with the coordinates and paying more attention to flying."

Wolf looked up just in time to see an unfamiliar vessel placed precariously ahead. He swerved just in time to avoid a head-on collision, but grazed the side of his lower right wing. He muttered a few colorful phrases under his breath as he centered his flyer.

Looking at the rearview, he saw the vessel begin to move. He started to press a button until a familiar, headstrong voice rang through his speakers.

"I don't know who you think you are but that was just plain rude!"

He hesitated, looking down to see that tomboy-ish, insolent face—one he had not seen in years. His eyes locked onto her, his mind speechless.

"My my my! What is a fine lady such as yourself doing out in the cold, lonely depths of space all alone?" Panther asked.

Katt grimaced, though she couldn't help being somewhat taken by his seductive accent.

"Cut it out Panther!" Wolf barked in a tone unusually harsh—even for him.

"Wolfy!" Katt cried incredulously.

"Wolfy?" echoed Panther.

"Oh, for the love of—"

"How are you?" She blurted, dropping all animosity in her voice.

"You know this woman? Why Wolf, I never would have guessed you a lady's man."

"Shut up!" The agitation in Wolf's voice grew with each passing second. "Katt! As much as I'd just _love_ to catch up with you, I'm busy."

"Busy? Busy with what, Wolfy?" She giggled.

"This isn't a joke! I'm on business."

"Oooh! Is it _dangerous_ business?"

Wolf glared at her. Despite his frustration however, he could not help reminiscing; even after all these years, she still had that same devious grin from the Academy days. How that conniving feline ever managed to land a spot in the elite Cornerian Flight Academy was far beyond Wolf's deductive skills.

"I hate to break up this sexy reunion, but it appears we have some old friends coming to visit," Panther said, snapping Wolf from his nostalgic spell.

Wolf looked up; instantly his eye caught the faint, undeniable glow of an _Arwing._

"_That's it—Powalski's officially dead."_

Toggling his Wolfen to full speed, he immediately charged with a volley of missiles and laser blasts.

"Hey! What're you shooting at me for!" Leon cawed, ducking just under the bulk of the onslaught.

"Leon! You slimy snake! What's going on!"

"What does it look like? I've stolen me an _Arwing_." He answered. "And I'm as giddy as an executioner at the gallows!"

"_I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that_."

"Lemme guess; you're being tailed?"

"What fun would it be if we couldn't rub it in their muzzles first?" Leon chortled.

"_Hmm…he has a point," _Wolf thought. _"Alright then, I'll just take this opportunity to harass Fox and his goody-two shoes band of punks."_

He opened his wings and prepared for combat. Looking up, he saw the Star Fox crew appearing just in time.

"Hello pup," he greeted darkly.

Fox sighed. _"Great,"_ he thought—straight from a romantic morning with Krystal to a dirty dogfight with Star Wolf. On top of that, Krystal couldn't even be here to watch Fox kick Wolf's butt…again.

"Okay! Now it's personal!" Fox proclaimed.

"I could say the same to you!" Wolf fired back.

The two sides closed the gap in distance and soared into action.

Leondashed upward and out, somersaulting over his opponents and making a swift nose-dive, showering the team with a rain of laser fire.

"Break formation!" Fox ordered.

"I'll take care of this scum-bag!" Falco said, deflecting the shots with a barrel roll before chasing after Leon.

The vast, cold loneliness of space erupted into a volcanic scene of blazing lights, rolling starships, and bitter emotions. But whilst the fury commenced, Katt lingered, hovering at the sidelines, watching thoughtfully.

"Hey guys?"

"What is it Slip? I'm…a little busy here," Fox replied, straining to avoid a barrage of shots led by Wolf.

"Has anyone else noticed the other ship? I think he's watching us."

"Watching?" Fox glanced at his radar. Maybe he was just too peeved to notice earlier, but—now that Slippy mentioned it—he did see a ship loitering the site.

"Hey you! Bystander! Either help us out or get lost!" Falco shouted.

"What makes you think they're here to help you?" Leon grunted indignantly.

"Is that any way to greet a girl, Falco?"

"Katt! What're you doing here? And why are you just sitting there when you could be helping us!"

She giggled playfully. "I'm sorry; it isn't obvious? I'm deciding who's team I want to be on."

"What!" Falco's eye twitched.

"And since you obviously need me so much, I guess I'll be on yours."

"Hey, wait—!"

Katt's ship whirred to life, charging into battle.

"_Almost…"_ Fox maintained a sharp, steady concentration on Wolf, preparing his shot and ignoring the prior exchange between Katt and Falco.

"Gotcha!" He shouted triumphantly, detonating a Smart Bomb directly onto Wolf's vessel.

Wolf braced himself against the impact, trying to regain control of his wildly spinning Wolfen.

"Damnit!" The shattering blow of a direct hit was always painful in more ways than one. But it would not stop him; the _Wolfen_ _II_ was built tough and rugged.

"_Like me," _he thought, finally recovering his balance.

He scanned his surroundings, taking a deep breath, finding himself far removed from the combat zone.

"_That blast was more powerful than I thought."_ As he started to U-turn, he stopped suddenly, realizing what was directly before him.

He smiled evilly. Only kilometers ahead lay the _Great Fox_—unprotected, vulnerable.

Even more brilliant was that Fox had completely forgotten about him, evidently wrapped up in his little savior complex—completely unaware of Wolf's absence.

"_Perfect."_

Krystal sighed. First she ruins a perfectly good morning with Fox with an unpleasant game of twenty questions, and then she gets her _Arwing _stolen.

"_How could this get any worse for me today?"_ She thought to herself.

Seated on the central chair of the bridge normally reserved for Fox, she twiddled her thumbs, pondering the possible meanings of Fox's peculiar dream from last night.

"Wait," she caught herself, shaking her head. "I should be worried about more important matters first."

"ROB, what's our status?"

Looking at the main view-screen, all she could make out was a fur-ball of distant fighters shooting and swerving around each other.

She frowned and turned around to see ROB standing motionless next to the scanners and main data frame.

"ROB. Our status please." She commanded.

Cold, stony silence.

Relinquishing Fox's cozy seat, she walked up to the frozen robot, inspecting it for a moment.

"ROB?" She sighed again. _"Slippy did say he had been having problems again recently."_

She gently shoved ROB to the side and looked at the complex formulas flowing across the monitors.

Useless. She could barely cope with basic algebra, much less read the alpha-jumblings of the _Great Fox._

Moving to return to her seat, she paused. A sudden wave of intuition flowed through her senses. A presence—someone had boarded the ship! Whoever it was, their intentions were anything but benevolent.

A sudden sense of danger and dread filled Krystal's psyche. She broke into a run for the door.

"_My staff! I must retrieve my—" _The door opened. She froze, finding herself staring down the barrel of a blaster. A bright flash of light barricaded her senses and the bridge became fuzzy as she collapsed.

Wolf smirked at her body lying gracefully on the floor. Without hesitation, he hoisted her onto his shoulder, taking as much care with her as he would a sack of rotten potatoes.

"_Too bad Fox. I didn't expect to actually get in."_ He grinned a grin of satisfaction with himself as he toted his prize back to the docking bay.

* * *

Fox was in the zone. Ready to take down anyone who might get in his way—barring Slippy of course.

He turned in time to catch Panther in another attempt against the amphibian, remedying the problem with a carefully aimed shot.

Panther growled antagonistically. "You'll pay for that one."

"Are you ready to surrender yet?"

"Team Leo—err, Star Wolf never surrenders!" Leon cheered.

"Is that so?" Falco taunted. "Well where'd your fearless leader run off to then?"

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Wolfy."

"Yeah… Where is Wolf? This isn't like him." Fox felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. _"Something's not right here."_

"Miss me pup?"

A sudden apprehension lurched in Fox's stomach as Wolf's ship flew into the scene from seemingly nowhere.

"Not at all! In fact, we didn't even notice you were gone," Fox quipped, trying to feign confidence.

The dark chuckle that followed clawed at his throat. "I know Fox. How else could I have gotten _this_ so easily?"

"What's he talking about?" Slippy injected.

Fox stared uneasily at Wolf's smug mug. To his horror, Wolf saddled an unconscious, blue vixen on his lap. The mortifying image seemed to flood his entire cockpit from the tiny monitor.

"You see, I've picked myself up a little prize." Wolf pulled Krystal's body close to his chest, cradling her in his right arm. "And I think she likes me," he added with a scathing smile.

Fox's breathing ceased. He failed to hear the gasps of shock from his allies and the menacing laughter of his foes. Something within him combusted; a pure fiery rage burned in his eyes as he made a sharp U-turn toward Wolf, disregarding Panther's agitated assault.

He sped toward Wolf, stopping meters away, nose to nose with him. Fox's body shook furiously, his finger twitching on the trigger.

Wolf howled in ferocious laughter.

"What're you gonna do pup? Shoot me down?" He asked, discreetly lowering himself below nose level of Fox's _Arwing_.

"_That's right Fox. Fall in."_

Slowly, carefully, and without breaking eye contact from Fox's deadly scrutiny, Wolf targeted a small, critical weak point.

Krystal's eyelids fluttered open. Dazed, disoriented, and offended by a distinctive, rugged stench, she saw a familiar shape. It looked like a ship perhaps, but her vision and mind were too foggy to be sure. Where was she?

"Goodbye Fox!"

"_F-Fox?"_

She heard a tiny click followed by a bright flash, and a magnificent fireball blossomed before her eyes.

"_F-Fireworks?"_


	4. Chapter 4: Bullet With a Name

**Chapter Four**

_Bullet with a Name_

_Time: Several Minutes Ago…_

_Location: Within the throes of battle, in hot pursuit of Leon._

"You're really starting to get on my nerves!" Leon shouted, shaking his fist in the air as he weaved through the onslaught set by Katt and Falco.

Katt smiled as she unleashed wave after wave of scorching shots, searing several scratches along the side of Leon's pilfered _Arwing._

"Katt, be careful! That's our ship you're shootin' at!" Falco cried.

Katt scoffed. "Well how else are we supposed to take him down?"

"Drat!" She muttered as Leon somersaulted, positioning himself directly behind her.

"Falco, you distracted me!"

"Pfft, not my fault."

"Are you ready to surrender yet?" Fox's voice boomed through Katt's speakers.

"_Oh good, we're winning," _she thought. She was also glad to hear Fox's voice at all; he seemed particularly quiet this fight.

"Team Leo—err, Star Wolf never surrenders!"

Katt's eyebrows shot up; something was definitely not right with that guy.

"Is that so?" Falco remarked with a sneer. "So where'd your fearless leader run off to?"

Katt glanced at her radar; Wolf was indeed _M.I.A._

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Wolfy," she teased, hoping to rile him out of hiding.

"_Where could he have gone off to?"_

A sudden crash rocked her from this note as Leon descended upon her.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice!" She decelerated, allowing the slithery chameleon to swoop past her. She started to pull the trigger but hesitated as Wolf's voice charged through the machine.

"Miss me pup?"

"_Pup?" _She smiled; she never thought she would hear Wolf use that nickname ever again. Katt giggled—Fox hated that as much as Wolf hated 'Wolfy'.

She looked down to see Wolf's rugged features grace her presence. A stupid grin slighted across her face only to have Falco's austere mug interrupt her view.

"Katt! What're you doin'!"

She jerked her head up to see Falco struggling through a rough series of laser fire, courtesy of Leon.

She swiftly maneuvered between the two Arwings, still keeping a close ear on Fox and Wolf's exchange.

"Not at all! In fact, we didn't even notice you were gone." Fox sounded so cute when he was nervous.

"Katt—Wrong Arwing!"

She continued to ignore Falco.

"I know Fox. How else could I have gotten _this_ so easily?"

"_Who's the blue girl?" _Katt thought as Wolf pulled into view an unconscious, sapphire-furred vixen.

A violent bout of turbulence snapped her back to the battlefield.

"Come on Katt! You're better than this! Quit screwin' around!" Falco reprimanded.

"Hm. I've got my work cut out for me it seems," jeered Leon.

"Hey!" Katt grumbled. That was an affront to her pride she simply could not ignore.

Instantly, she corkscrewed, soaring up and over Leon, and boosting past his vessel. After she had enough distance, she U-turned to face her new rival.

Her finger itched as she waited to take her shot. But before she could satisfy her revenge, an unusual spectacle averted her eyes to the left.

Her vision was locked on Fox and Wolf, hovering, facing each other down—Wolf's ship slightly below nose level of Fox's.

A sudden moment passed slowly as the Wolfen unleashed a furiously glowing bolt of plasma, and Fox's ship exploded.

* * *

"Get in there!" Wolf barked, tossing the teary-eyed vixen into her room—what Wolf called a room. It was dark and musty, smelled like an over-used locker, and the floor was littered with dust bunnies—what she hoped were merely dust-bunnies.

But Krystal didn't care. None of that mattered, because Fox was dead. _Dead_. The word reverberated through her mind in the shrill silence, shattering all the joy and happiness that was left in her life. It was like watching the death of her planet all over again.

Fox—her new home—gone. Forever.

Tears flowed in small waterfalls down her face as she lay helplessly sobbing on the floor. She did not flinch as the door behind her slammed shut.

Shoving the key into the latch, Wolf locked the door; one of few doors on Sargasso Outpost that had a manual lock.

Though he would normally throw a prisoner in the brig, at Panther's insistence (and possibly an iota of pity), he decided to lock her up in a nicer—albeit primitive—quarters. He consoled himself with the thought that even his lowliest thugs had better living arrangements.

Wolf slowly made his way to the edge of the dim hallway. Standing in the corridor, he stared pensively at the wall.

"Something troubling you?" A voice came from behind.

Startled, he spun around, drawing his personal blaster.

"Oh, it's you," he said, securing the gun in its holster.

Across the hallway stood Panther, scrutinizing Wolf with a look of mild concern.

"Hmph. Isn't it a bit too soon? She's still crying for gods' sake. That'd be tasteless, even for you Panther," Wolf said. But instead of wearing his usual smirk, his expression was stoic; his voice, equally emotionless.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you," Panther replied, taking a few graceful strides toward the lupine.

"Me? It'll _always_ be too soon to hit on me, Panther."

"That's not what I meant!" Panther shuddered, the very notion sending chills down his spine. The lack of humor in Wolf's voice made it all the more disturbing.

"I'm a little concerned. Leon and I noticed you were oddly quiet on our trip back."

"So? If you want a chatty boss, I suggest you join another team."

Panther scanned Wolf's face. He seemed agitated. _"But why?"_

"I'm not trying to interfere; we just thought it unusual that—"

"That what!" Wolf growled; even Panther's suave voice was beginning to grate on his nerves.

"That you aren't in a better mood. You should be happy shouldn't you? Fox McCloud was a mortal enemy, and you finally got what you wanted. I would think you'd be in better spirits than this."

Wolf paused for a moment. "Yeah, well…I didn't get his pelt."

"His…pelt?"

"I wanted some sort of trophy when I killed him—like his head or somethin'—but instead, I accidently blew him to bits. Are you happy now?"

"Accidently?"

"I don't want to talk about it. And I won't. This conversation is over!" Wolf snarled, slamming his fist into the wall.

After a moment, Panther sighed. "I see. I shall not bother it then."

Wolf grumbled what Panther heard as "good" and started to leave.

"Wait. I was also hoping to secure watch duty over Krystal. Surely you don't want the chore of watching over her yourself?" Panther said with a devilish grin.

Wolf rolled his eye before relinquishing the key and stomped off.

He moved at a brisk pace. Looking directly ahead, his gaze was sharp and intense. He did not stop to break up a fight between a couple of lackeys nor did he tarry to acknowledge the ingratiating welcomes of the more ambitious ones. No—he would not break stride until he was finally in his own quarters, standing only a foot from his bedside.

He looked toward the nightstand, gazing not at it, but the velvety green tome lying on top of it. He blinked, and a single tear escaped his eye, traipsing along the side of his muzzle before being hastily wiped clean by Wolf's hand.

"_Dammit Fox,"_ was his final thought before dropping to his bed for some much needed rest.

* * *

The Star Fox team—what remained of it—entered the bridge of the _Great Fox_, slowly, solemnly. Katt, Falco, and Slippy, heads hung low, stood apart from one another, each feeling alone and confused. None of them could believe the tragedy that had befallen. Arwing stolen, Krystal kidnapped, and Fox…

Buried in grief, the three did not notice as ROB busily tinkered away at the navigation controls, seemingly incognizant of the murky shadow of despair looming heavily in the atmosphere of the room.

After a few moments, the robot ceased abruptly and turned to face the grim trio.

"The appropriate coordinates have been programmed."

Katt, Falco, and Slippy jumped simultaneously as ROB's mechanical voice jarred them from their disdain, as though awakened from a terrible nightmare.

"Shall I initiate hyperspace travel?" ROB queried, scanning each of them, awaiting orders from a new leadership model.

The three stood silent. They exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond. Falco brooded, Katt looked solemnly at her feet, and Slippy's eyes welled with tears.

"Hmph," Falco grunted as he crossed his arms. A bitter rage was slowly coming to a boil in the pit of his stomach; a blind urge for revenge took over.

"No! Y'know what I think we should do? I think we should storm Sargasso Outpost and gut the bastards responsible for this—all three of 'em!" He huffed. He could barely maintain a rational presence amidst the fury burning inside him.

Katt paused, looking at Falco, trying to decipher a way to calm him. "Falco, we need to calm down and think about this."

"Think? _Think!_ How can you say that? Fox is dead!"

A sudden haunting stillness swept through the room upon the utterance of the words. Slippy, however, had already made his way to the nav-computer, checking the coordinates ROB had set moments ago.

He wiped tears from his eyes as his saddened face added to it a hint of morbid curiosity.

"Titania?" He said meekly but inquisitively.

"Affirmative," ROB's impassive voice blared.

Slippy's eyes grew wide. Looking at Katt and Falco, he expected to see the same touch of hopeful curiosity, but was let down, receiving looks of tearful bewilderment instead.

"Guys! Don't you know what this means?" Slippy asked wildly, begging for some sudden epiphany to illuminate the implications for them.

"That your robot's busted?" shot Falco.

"No!" Slippy fumed, throwing Falco a dirty look before turning to ROB.

"ROB, why did you set coordinates for Titania?"

"The coordinates reflect the most probable destination of the escape pod according to its trajectory at the time it was discharged."

Katt and Falco's eyes jumped up, looking from ROB to Slippy in quick succession.

"An escape pod?" Katt said, cautiously optimistic. "You mean…"

"Well," Slippy began, looking back at the panel, pressing a few buttons. The hope in his voice faded slightly. "It's only a possibility. It moved so fast, the sensors couldn't pick up whether or not he…survived."

"But if there's a chance, we have to check it out!" Katt interjected immediately. She turned to Falco, prodding him for agreement.

Falco closed his eyes thoughtfully, taking a deep breath and a minute to think, his temper quelled—for the moment.

"Katt's right," he said finally, almost sighing. "But we have to hurry, for Fox _and _Krystal's sake."

Wasting no time, Slippy's fingers raced along the controls, and the _Great Fox_ sped off.

* * *

"_Fox,"_ Krystal slammed her fist weakly on the floor. Though the tears had ceased, the anguish she felt weighed strongly on her.

"_If only I hadn't been so stupid," _she thought. Over and over again, she played through scenarios in her mind. Instead of hesitating, she acted, swiftly disarming Wolf and kicking him off his feet, smashing her foot into him again when he was down—and again—and again—and again…

"_None of this would have happened if I had just…" _Tears began to flood her eyes once more. But they did not fall. Crying would not help, would not bring Fox back, she thought.

"_If I'm going down, _he's_ going down with me."_

"_Wolf…will…pay!"_


	5. Chapter 5: Miss Murder

**Chapter Five**

_Miss Murder_

_Time: Six hours later…_

_Location: Sargasso Outpost—Krystal's Room_

Krystal awoke to the sound of a closing door. Opening her eyes, she saw a tray lying on the ground next to her.

"Ugh," she drew herself up, wiping away the dust her fur had collected on the grimy floor. Though she had the luxury of a bed, she had not found the strength amidst her mourning to take herself to it before drifting to sleep.

She looked down at the tray of meager rations—a grey mush—and grimaced. Even for a prisoner, it seemed harshly un-appetizing.

She cocked her foot back to kick it across the room but stopped upon hearing a faint sound outside her door: footsteps. She took a deep, cleansing breath as she released her psyche outward. Maintaining a vigilant focus, she let herself extend until her consciousness flowed throughout Sargasso Outpost. She could sense each and every life-form aboard as well as their ignoble thoughts and feelings.

Focusing her senses upward, she nearly lost her concentration when she felt the familiar rugged presence she had encountered only a day ago. But it was not due to anger at first; Wolf's aura was intense, rivaling that of Fox's. The subtle reminder made her stomach turn and she felt the sudden urge to snuff it out, breaking her concentration.

Enraged, she stomped toward the door and pounded on it with surprising force.

"Hey!" She immediately heard a thuggish voice spout from the other side. "Keep it down in there!"

"I demand to speak with Wolf!" She yelled back.

The thug chuckled brutishly, giving Krystal the strong urge to throttle him. "The boss is busy. And he ain't got no time for the likes o' you anyway."

"Let me out!" She shrieked, unleashing a flurry of fist and foot on the door. Maybe it was futile, but if nothing else, she would not be a complacent prisoner.

"What is the meaning of this noise?" She stopped upon hearing the annoyingly charming voice of Panther.

"This crazy bi—broad wants to speak with the boss."

Krystal held her ear to the door, perceiving a soft sigh from Panther.

"Hmm…I see. Go take a break. I'll handle this." He replied firmly.

Panther cleared his throat before speaking.

"Are you alright, milady?" He asked, attempting to sound more sophisticated than usual.

This only served to infuriate her further. "I'm not your lady!" She shouted, her fists wound up tightly so that small droplets of blood began to collect in the tips of her polished nails. "And no I'm not fine! How do you—what—how dare you!" She stammered, her voice steadily rising in pitch. Every fiber of her being was convulsing with pain and rage. Tears welled in her eyes.

Panther was silent for another moment.

"May I come in?" He asked.

Krystal nearly broke into a tangent of colorful language before something struck her. An idea—a clever scheme—suddenly unfolded in her mind.

She took a deep breath and muttered a meek "yes."

The lock clicked, and the door slowly came open. Panther peeked inside, his eyes carrying a genuine sparkle of deep sympathy and concern.

He looked at Krystal; her once beautiful and delicate features were tattered with emotional upheaval. Combined with the tear-matted fur, she looked as if she had been ravaged by a fierce storm.

"I'm sorry," he soothed. His voice rang so sincerely, it almost made Krystal feel guilty. "If you need to talk…"

Krystal took a sharp intake of breath, filling her lungs and spirit with the preparation and energy she needed—this was going to be ugly, she knew.

"Panther," she uttered vulnerably. Her knees buckled as though she was about to collapse.

Immediately, Panther swept in, leaving the door wide open behind him. He caught her and she leaned into him very receptively.

"Thank you Panther," she murmured, placing a hand softly on his chest. She could feel his heart-beat quicken.

Panther gulped heavily as Krystal wrapped her arms delicately around his waist. She rested her chin on his chest and looked softly into his eyes, wooing him with pity.

"Oh Panther, it hurts so much. I just want it to stop; I don't want to think about Fox anymore."

His heart began to flutter rapidly like the wings of a giddy hummingbird. His cheeks flushed, and a hint of scarlet color radiated through his dark, violet fur.

He found himself at a loss for words as his pants became helplessly un-accommodating. "M—milady, don't you think it's a bit too soo—" A thunderous crack halted his speech as a numb, tingling sensation rushed through his spine. He was unconscious before he even hit the floor.

Krystal sighed. Relieved it was finally over, she held up the smoking blaster—the one she swiped from the holster on Panther's belt while he was…distracted.

But she could not waste any time. She dragged Panther onto the bed, covering him with the thin, coffee-stained sheet it came with. Though she could have taken the key to her room as well, she had no intention of coming back. All she had to do was get to Wolf before Panther woke up. What might happen afterwards…that did not concern her.

On that final note, she switched to stealth mode and quietly closed the door behind her. Looking down both sides of the empty hallway, she realized she had never actually been inside Sargasso Outpost; she would have to rely on intuition alone.

Without thinking, she hastened left through the hall, moving lightly on her toes. Turning at the corridor, she targeted Wolf's presence. Feeling an ever so slight shift in distance, she could tell she was on the right track.

She stopped upon reaching the elevator doors. They slid open with a slight hiss, revealing a large, glowing metal platform. She stepped in, pausing a moment.

Wolf was above her somewhere; that much she could feel. The doors closed as she input the first number that came to mind.

"_I hope this is right."_ Her powers were strong but not flawless, and as the elevator ascended, she felt the small but significant auras of Wolf's thugs scattered throughout the base. She just needed to reach Wolf's room, she reminded herself. Both anger and anxiety pounded through her temples as she drew closer.

But her single-minded focus was interrupted as the platform came to an abrupt and early halt, one level below her destination. Slightly panicked, she readied her gun.

The elevator doors swung open to two chattering brutes—a simian and a reptile. A knell of deathly silence fell upon the two as they turned to look at Krystal, both wearing similarly stupefied expressions.

Plasma-shots rang through the halls as the two dropped motionless to the floor.

"_Argh!" _Krystal frantically pressed the button several times before the lift doors finally closed and the elevator resumed. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Though it took only seconds, it felt like hours as the elevator rose to the correct point. Stepping out, she held her blaster defensively outward though her Sense told her the area was clear.

Unlike the hall on Krystal's floor which was dumpy, made almost entirely of scrap metal and stone—more of a storage facility than living quarters—this floor was much more welcoming. The dimmed fluorescent lights emitted a cozy glow along the plush scarlet carpeting. The hall possessed a lavish yet humble atmosphere. One could almost mistake it for the entrance to a jazz club.

To the right were three widely spaced doors, quite obviously Wolf, Leon, and Panther's respective rooms. She stared at the first, sensing life behind it. The aura was dark, cold, and scaly. Leon, she guessed, shuddering. Gods only knew what someone like Leon must do in his spare time.

She passed the second door which concealed only an empty room. She stopped at the third. This was it; she could already smell Wolf's gruff scent.

Taking a step forward, she was startled to find the automatic doors slide open. Funny, she thought, Wolf seemed like the type of man would lock his door—with twelve different latches. But no matter, she walked in and stopped as they gently slid shut.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could hear the rhythms of faint, shallow breathing. A silhouette of the sleeping lupine came into view as her eyes absorbed the light of the glimmering stars that peeked through the window. His bed lay against the center of the right wall. It was smaller than Krystal expected, and the sheets were a plain, egg-shell white. From the look of it, Wolf must have gone to bed pretty quickly. He was laying face down, head turned away, and still wearing much of his heavy clothing.

"_Hmm…"_ It was almost too easy.

The vixen started to move, slowly, deliberately, taking every precaution as not to make even a hint of sound. Wolf struck her as a light sleeper, and she needed to get this right the first time.

After a painfully drawn out period of time, what had to be at least five minutes, her feet were firmly planted directly next to the bed. She glared at the disturbingly peaceful image of Wolf's tranquil slumber.

"_How do you sleep Wolf? How do you sleep knowing you murdered the most wonderful…" _She strained to resist pouncing on him and beating him to death with her bare hands. Even as angry as she was, she doubted she could take Wolf in hand-to-hand. That's what she had Panther's gun for anyway.

Aiming directly at the back of Wolf's head, she changed the lethality setting. Unlike most legally regulated blasters in the Lylat System, Wolf's team armed themselves with a highly potent (and dangerous) pistol that could utilize lethal force. It carried nearly a quarter the power of the _Great Fox's _hyper cannons. Not enough to blow open an asteroid, but more than enough to drill a neat hole through someone's skull. The backlash of such an attack was usually equally painful to the attacker.

Krystal's hands shook with nerves and anger as she held Wolf's life in the tip of her finger. A single pull of the trigger and Wolf's brains would be scrambled worse than Slippy's infamous toast incident.

A bead of sweat formed on her brow as her finger closed around the trigger and she slowly applied pressure. A single tear fell from her cheek. This was it, she thought. Her descent into madness would be completed with this final act.

Her hands grew more tremulous. Slowly, the gun fell until it pointed toward the floor. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill someone, not even Wolf. More tears ran down her cheek.

"_But Fox…"_

At that moment, she noticed something dancing in the peripherals of her vision. Her attention turned to a strange book lying on the nightstand next to Wolf's bed. A violet, miasmal glow outlined the edges of it.

It was a book—no—a journal—the kind in which one records their private thoughts and feelings. It was simple in design and bulky—there must have been at least a hundred pages bound in it. Coated in a green leather skin, the cover was embossed with gold-leaf letters that read simply, "WOLF".

Krystal stifled a gasp with her hands, inadvertently dropping the gun which hit the floor with a light thud. She froze but Wolf did not stir. Her eyes focused on the ethereal radiance of the journal. Not only did it appear to belong to Wolf, but it was also calling to her. The glow was more than mere decoration; it was a torrent of psychic emanations. It seemed to be saying, _"Release me."_

"What are you doing here!" A sudden gouging pain penetrated Krystal's shoulders.

She turned to look straight into the feral eyes of Wolf! His claws sank deeper into her shoulders as his eyes burned lividly. Wait! _EyeS! _He had two eyes! And his face! He seemed much younger, missing nearly a decade of wear from his features.

She screamed as the mysterious doppelganger hurled her across the room with supernatural might, smashing her into the wall with an audible crash.

Somehow, she retained consciousness after hitting the floor, though her vision was nigh useless; everything was shrouded in a blanket of a dull blur. She looked up, blood spewed from her maw, and suddenly, the room became clear. The blood from her muzzle, the deep claw gashes in her shoulders, and the violent lupine specter abruptly vanished.

Shaken, she took thin, rapid breaths. Several minutes passed before she finally stood and scanned the room. Amazingly, Wolf lay, undisturbed, in his initial resting position.

"_But how…?"_

Looking toward the nightstand, she saw the ethereal glow of the journal had also disappeared.

"_An apparition?" _She looked from it to Wolf; as if the contents of the journal weren't already a big enough mystery, she thought.

Not a moment of hesitation crossed her mind as she silently snatched the journal and Panther's blaster.

Fortunately, the base was not experiencing much activity as she made her way back to her hall with no interruption this time. As she turned the corridor, she saw an incensed Panther emerge from her room. Her grip tightened on the journal which she innocuously hid behind her back before he spotted her.

"You know, if you wanted to speak with Wolf that badly, I would have let you," he said with unforgiving scrutiny as he approached her.

"I—I'm sorry," she replied genuinely apologetic though for reasons beyond shooting him.

After returning his blaster and receiving a soft reprimand, Krystal willingly retreated to her quarters. Surprisingly, Panther seemed uncaring—or perhaps he did not notice—the intimate volume Krystal pathetically attempted to conceal.

Safely back in her "room," Krystal seated herself on the firm mattress of her otherwise empty cell. It startled her how honestly hurt Panther was. She always thought him to be a heartless cad...but he really seemed to care about her…not that she would ever consider _that_.

"_But, anyway…" _She shrugged off the inkling of guilt and looked at the brilliant tome. She took a deep breath as she unhooked the strap that held it securely shut; her heart pounding rapidly as she opened it…


End file.
